


Flurry

by karygurl



Category: Seduce Me (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 17:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4230891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karygurl/pseuds/karygurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The incubi brothers discover snow for the first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flurry

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something involving all of the boys so that each and every incubi fan would hopefully get to squeal at least once. Total fluff, no romance (or maybe she’s romancing everyone _winkwonk_ ), just goofy incubus shenanigans when they see snow for the first time. If you need some inspiration to get you in the right winter mindset, check out the gorgeous art [naidrawsstuff](http://tmblr.co/mhaXZAY-QaP6AsUxHtMGAjg) did of [Matthew](http://naidrawsstuff.tumblr.com/post/112024116926/matthew-in-winter-getup-and-snow-one-day-that), [Sam](http://naidrawsstuff.tumblr.com/post/112272769986/sam-in-winter-stuff-because-why-not-he), [Damien](http://naidrawsstuff.tumblr.com/post/112348356866/damien-not-sharing-his-umbrella-with-the-rest-of), and [Erik & James](http://naidrawsstuff.tumblr.com/post/112473583691/snowball-fight-with-princesses-say-it-isnt-a) because I know I stared at them for embarrassing amounts of time while writing this stupidly long piece of fluff.
> 
> And I need to mention that this fic wouldn’t have even been finished without the lovely, angelic Midnight Ninja who is the most amazing beta reader/fellow fic procrastinator/hilarious commentator I have ever had the pleasure of throwing an unfinished fic at.

“Guys, come here! You’ve got to see this!!”

Mika put down the dirty plates she was loading into the dishwasher and hurried to the dining room where she had heard Matthew’s voice come from. She and the incubi had been cleaning up after dinner and now gathered around the shortest brother, who was staring wide-eyed out of one of the large dining room windows.

She was the last to arrive and leaned to the side, trying to get a glimpse past them to see what was going on. She briefly thought it could be Malix’s gang back for revenge, but she squashed the idea as soon as it formed in her mind; no way would Matthew sound so nonchalant if there were devils in the yard.

“Do you think it’s, like, pollen?”

“Dude, it can’t be bugs, right?”

Mika felt a hand on her back, and out of the corner of her eye she watched as James stepped aside and used his hand to maneuver her toward the window so that she could see. “I believe it’s called snow. Am I correct in that assumption, miss?”

With an unobstructed view, she was finally able to see what they were staring at: big, fat snowflakes slowly drifting to the ground in the hazy evening light of the overcast day. She snuck a peek at the faces of the incubi brothers, and the open amazement in their expressions made her bite her lip to hide a smile. “You’re right, James. I take it from their reactions that the Abyssal Plains isn’t ever particularly cold?”

“No, it’s much more temperate than Chicago is.”

“So, what exactly is it then?” Erik asked.

Mika hesitated for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain it that wouldn’t open up a can of worms describing the differences between snow, hail, and freezing rain. James might be interested, but the rest of the boys would probably go cross-eyed with boredom. “It’s basically rain that freezes into very tiny ice crystals up in the clouds and then falls down. They sometimes collect into little chunks while they fall, which is why it looks so fluffy.”

Sam shook his head. “So it’s literally fluffy water. You’re fucking joking.”

“Is it actually fluffy??” Matthew asked excitedly, his eyes lighting up even brighter as they watched the white puffs fall from the sky.

“No, sorry, it only looks like fluff. It’s actually just kind of wet and cold if you try to catch it.”

At the mention of “cold,” Sam made a disgusted noise and turned to leave the group. He had made no secret of his hatred of the cold since winter had begun.

“Sam, the dining room table has not been cleared yet,” James said, a soft tone of warning in his voice, and Sam sighed heavily before changing course, grabbing some plates from the dining room table and heading for the kitchen.

As James, Erik and Damien followed him with the last of the items from the table, Mika hung back with Matthew, who seemed loathe to pull himself away from the window. She wasn’t quite as enchanted as the boys had been, but still, it was the first snowfall of the season, and to her, that meant…

She gave Matthew a nudge with her elbow. “Hey, would you have time to help me with something after we’re done cleaning up?”

He turned toward her and nodded, though she caught the brief glance he shot back towards the window to catch one last glimpse of the snow. “Sure, what’s up?

 

“So we’re baking?” he asked her a little while later, once they had the kitchen to themselves. An infectious, excited grin was spreading on his face again.

“Mmhmm!” she hummed while pulling flour, sugar, salt and vanilla out of the cabinet before heading to another cabinet that held cookbooks. “We’re making snow cookies. It’s an old tradition from my grandma…” She trailed off while she flipped through an old, yellowed cookbook, finally pulling out an aged piece of paper that had been tucked inside. “There you are!”

Matthew peeked over her shoulder after she laid the recipe on the counter, then headed for the fridge to help gather ingredients. “We don’t need any actual snow, do we?” he asked.

Mika chuckled and shook her head. “Not at the moment… You’ll see.” Matthew handed her two sticks of butter from the fridge and she dumped them into her stand mixer, then measured out the correct amount of sugar before tossing it in as well. “My grandma… She honestly wasn’t much of a cook, but she had two things she was known for: the secret brownie recipe that she inherited from my great-grandma, and snow cookies.”

She flicked the mixer on low and watched the butter spin around the bowl, then turned it up to a faster speed once the sugar wasn’t in danger of flying everywhere. “Every winter, whenever we’d get the very first snowfall, my grandma would either pick me up and bring me to the mansion or come to my parents’ house and we’d make snow cookies.” She shrugged at Matthew with sheepish smile. “They’re really just sugar cookies, but I like that they remind me of her. It’s been a while since she passed away, but the first time snow comes down every winter, I just…”

Sticking her tongue through her teeth in an embarrassed grin, she turned back to the mixer and busied herself with cracking open and adding an egg to its contents. “Sorry, I don’t mean to get all maudlin on you!”

Mika felt a nudge against her shoulder and looked to her right to see Matthew at her side, leaning down just a little to peer into her face. “Hey, you don’t have to apologize for anything, okay? I understand what it’s like to miss your family.”

His wide grin took over again as he helped her dose out the rest of the ingredients into the mixing bowl. “What else did you and your grandmother do together?”

“Well…” She was a little hesitant to share at first, not wanting to seem too childish, but since it was Matthew, she figured he wouldn’t mind. “She always made sure we each had little dabs of flour on our noses, so that anyone who came into the kitchen knew we were working really hard.”

“Really?” he asked curiously, and when she turned to answer him, she felt a swipe of something against her face and she stepped back, blinking to try and figure out what had come flying across her vision.

“Gotcha!” Matthew laughed, then raised his fingers to blot a little flour on his own nose.

If she crossed her eyes just a little and looked down, she could make out a hint of white on the tip of her nose. Had he really just booped her with flour?

She suddenly felt her eyes burn from tears threatening to form, remembering the last time she had baked with her grandmother in that same kitchen. Fighting back the lump in her throat, she made the conscious effort to laugh instead, dipping her fingers into the flour to get Matthew’s nose and possibly his entire face covered in retaliation. Her grandmother would’ve hated to see her cry while making cookies, after all.

 

Later that evening she found James exactly where she expected him to be: in her grandfather’s library in his usual armchair, legs crossed elegantly as he paged through a book. She carried a tray into the room, bearing a plate of small round snow cookies, Irish breakfast tea with a splash of milk for him, and genmaicha tea for herself. The font on the cover of the book he was reading was fairly large, so she was able to make out the title: “Field Guide to Weather - North America.” She ducked her head to hide a smile as she approached him; he went through bouts of studying different subjects, and it seemed that the snow had gotten him started on a new topic.

When James looked up at her, he unfolded his legs and moved to press his hands into the armrests to stand and help her, but she gave him a short shake of her head and a grateful smile, bringing the tray to a small side table next to where he was seated.

“Thank you, miss. I don’t believe I’ve seen that particular variety of cookie before… Is it a new recipe?”

She shook her head again, settling down into a chair on the other side of the table and picking up her mug of tea. “It’s a recipe my grandmother and I always made when the first snow of winter starts to fall.” She blew across the surface of the beverage and took a small sip, watching as James reached for the mug meant for him. “The secret, if you can call it that, is that after you bake them, you have to put them on a plate, take them outside, and make sure some of the snowflakes fall onto them. They’re not snow cookies until they’re kissed with snow.”

“That’s a very endearing custom. May I?” he asked, his hand indicating the cookie tray.

She nodded and waited until he had his pick before taking one for herself as well, turning it over in her hands before taking a bite. “I’m pretty sure the real reason we did that was to make sure the cookies had cooled before we ate them so that I didn’t burn my mouth.” She shot him a slightly sardonic smile before popping the remainder of the cookie into her mouth and finishing the treat before speaking again. “If the cookies are too hot, the heat rising from them would melt the snowflakes before they could get near the plate. Once they were cool enough, snow could settle on them. My grandma was very sweet, but the older I get, the more I realize how clever she really was.”

James smiled at her, sipping from his mug. “It seems to be a trait that runs in the family,” he said while reaching for another cookie.

Mika returned his smile before turning to look out the library window, hoping to hide the little blush that she was sure was rising in her cheeks. “Matthew and I had a bit of a hard time getting snowflakes to land on the cookies,” she said offhandedly, watching as the flurries outside came less and less frequently. “It’s a shame that the snow is already almost done falling. I would have loved to show you and your brothers a real snow day.”

Several moments of silence passed, and she heard him quietly sip on his tea before speaking. “If it’s something you truly wish to see miss, that is something I can help with. Climate-altering magic is relatively commonplace in the Abyssal Plains, though it’s usually used for agricultural purposes.“

She turned to look at him, her eyes wide. Could she really just use magic to create enough snow? Just like that? As long as she didn’t do it often enough to absurdly raise the water table or set off some kind of flood once it melted, surely just once wouldn’t cause too much trouble?

That last thought was worrisome, but she was just too curious to let the opportunity pass. “Is it a complicated spell?”

"Snow is simply precipitation which is easy enough to conjure, particularly with the current cloud cover. It would fall in a wide radius, covering perhaps a square mile or so, if that would be enough?”

Wide enough that no one would assume the mansion would be the epicenter, she assumed. “Would it be easy enough for me to learn tonight?”

His smile widened just a little as he placed his mug of tea back on the tray. “It’s possible, but there are a few subtle nuances in the way the spell is phrased. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind casting it with me?”

Her mug joined his on the tray immediately and she leaned over the armrest, not caring how eager she looked. “I would love to! What do you need me to do?”

James stood and offered her a hand to assist her to her feet, and she quickly stood and followed when he led her over to the window. Her brow furrowed a little when he opened it, and he responded with a chuckle, “Normally one would need to stand outside to cast this spell, but given the temperature, I believe this should suffice.”

Fighting back a shiver at the cold air moving over her skin, Mika watched as James turned to face her and held out both hands, face up. “I’ll take care of the incantation, but if you’re comfortable, I can use some of your energy to help fuel the spell.”

Once she had taken the unspoken part of his invitation and placed her hands over his, she nodded and he continued. “I believe you learned to direct your energy from your grandfather’s journals? Concentrate it here,” he said, lifting their hands a fraction of an inch to indicate where he wanted it, “and I’ll use it when casting the spell.”

After another nod from her, James turned to look out of the window, the smile disappearing from his face to be replaced with a look of concentration.

While she waited for him to speak, Mika looked at their hands, hers delicately balancing on top of his, and willed her energy to flow through her body and down her arms to where it was needed.

“ _Volo nix, sino nix. Nix acervum dare me_ ,” he chanted softly, his deep voice quiet but humming with power. She could feel the energy in her hands join with his, fusing into something almost palpable. The chill in the room seemed to disappear in the wake of the hum that spread from the power in the small space between them.

She willed more energy forward, pulling from the depths of her core. There was something very exhilarating, almost addicting in watching the pool of power grow, especially when she could visualize the piles of white waiting for the boys once the spell had been cast.

Finally James finished the incantation and the direction of the wind blowing into the room shifted, pulling the mass of energy out the window and upwards toward the heavy cloud cover that darkened the sky. The light seemed to spread outward in a web through the clouds, not unlike a lightning strike. She watched it go with a small smile of wonder before she stumbled, a numb shiver traveling down her legs that made them unable to support her weight.

James quickly reached out and grasped her arms by the elbows, helping her stay upright. “Are you alright, miss?” he asked, the subtle traces of power in his voice replaced with a worried tone.

She opened her mouth to answer him, but another wave of disorientation washed over her and she pitched forward, resting her head on his shoulder for just a moment before jerking backwards. “Sorry, I probably should sit for a minute…”

He wasted no time in guiding her to the nearest chair by one elbow, his other hand reaching out and forcibly grabbing its armrest to pull it closer to her so that she could sit sooner. Mika attempted to sit in a somewhat organized fashion but ended up just about falling into the seat, her body pitching to the side but thankfully held upright by the arm of the chair.

“I didn’t expect you to put that much energy into the spell,” James said as he kneeled next to the chair, one of his hands reaching up to cup her cheek and tilt her head just slightly to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry, this is my fault for not paying attention to the amount of energy you had conjured. Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Mmhmm,” she answered airily, closing her eyes with a smile. No doubt now that by tomorrow, there would be plenty of snow for the boys to play in. She couldn’t wait to see their faces. In fact, the mental image of the boys in the snow was the last thing she remembered before drifting off.

 

If there was one constant in the world, it was that Mika loved her bed. There was something about the cushy pillow-top mattress and silk sheets that made her want to lie in it forever, and on this particular morning, she was content to snuggle up in her blankets and doze long after she would have normally had to wake up for school. Thank goodness for weekends.

“Rise and shine, princess~”

Erik seemed to appear in her hazy, dozing dreams and disappear just as quickly. Princess. Mmhmm. Her soft bed really did make her feel like royalty.

His voice brought her mind just to the edge of consciousness, and the light in the room seeped through her eyelids enough that she slowly opened them, her brain going through the motions of waking up at a leisurely pace. It was morning. It was the weekend. (Thank goodness.) Glancing at the clock, she saw that it actually wasn’t late in the morning, so she’d still be able to join the incubi for breakfast. The light coming from behind the curtains was particularly bright, more than she’d expect for the time. Her limbs felt a little stiff, probably because she was still wearing her clothes from yesterday.

Mika slung her legs out of the bed and did a lazy slide to the floor before her brain finished processing. Clothes from yesterday. Snow spell. Bright light outside the window. That all equaled…Wait. _The spell._

Her brain was still not quite awake yet and her body surged forward toward the window, her legs catching up just in time to keep her from falling to the ground in an uncoordinated heap.

Her hands latched onto the fabric of the curtains and yanked them aside, immediately squinting at the bright, crystalline light that instantly assaulted her eyes. Once they adjusted, her lips split into a wide grin.

Snow stretched out over the yard and neighborhood as far as she could see, smooth and gleaming in the morning sun. It was deep but not enough to snow them in, perhaps a foot or two, which was perfect. She breathed a small sigh of relief; there had been a little niggling part of her that had worried she was going to cause some kind of snowpocalypse blizzard with all the extra energy she had given James to use for the spell.

James. The boys. Were they already awake? Had they already looked outside? Did she miss their reactions??

Hurriedly she grabbed the first clean shirt she could reach from her closet and ran into the bathroom, doing an awkward dance that involved trying to brush her teeth and change her shirt at the same time. Once she had succeeded, she dashed out of her bedroom, down the hall and slid down the banister in the entryway.

As she headed toward the dining room, where she could hear the incubi’s voices coming from, she had an odd suspicion that the house was darker than usual, even though all of the lights were on. It felt a little strange, but she was in such a hurry that she didn’t dwell on it much as she finally finished her dash and skidded to a stop at the entryway of the dining room.

All five incubi boys were there, and their conversation immediately lapsed into silence as she made her grand entrance.

“Good morning, princess,” Erik purred, a smug look of satisfaction on his face. It faintly echoed in her mind, reminding her of her sleepy dozing dreams. Had she been dreaming of him, or had he been actually trying to wake her up?

Matthew chuckled and pointed to the plate they had set for her, already piled high and still steaming with hot eggs, bacon and toast. “Good morning! Are you hungry? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you come running for breakfast that fast before!”

Mika ducked her head, hoping her long hair falling forward would help hide the embarrassed blush that was rising into her cheeks, and settled down at her place at the table. “Yeah… Guess I’m just really hungry.”

“How are you feeling this morning, miss?” James asked. His tone was light, but she could tell by his intent gaze and the slight crease in his forehead that he was worried about her after the events of the previous evening.

Speaking of which, she didn’t even remember getting to bed. Had he carried her? Oh, lord. That certainly wasn’t helping her blush go away any faster.

“I’m fine, thanks! I had a really good night’s sleep,” she said to reassure him as she dug into her food.

“I’m glad to hear it. Once you’ve finished your breakfast, I was hoping that you might reveal your surprise to my brothers.”

“Is that why you’ve got us cooped up in here and won’t let us leave?” Sam asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance. James simply smiled and flicked his eyes toward the windows, the curtains drawn tight over them.

That’s why the house had seemed so dark: the curtains were all closed. She didn’t doubt that James had closed them all in order to make sure she would be able to see their reactions to the snow.

Mika tried to school her facial expression but she noticed Damien was watching her with a small frown, his forehead creased with confusion as he glanced toward the windows.

Crap. Hiding her enthusiasm might work for the others, but there was no hiding the mental image from Damien when she was just so excited that she couldn’t focus on anything else.

Swallowing the last bite of her toast, she jumped to her feet and headed for the curtains, eagerly pushing them aside at each window from one side of the room to the other. “Sorry to keep you waiting! I just wanted to show you how it looks once it’s been snowing for a while…”

Matthew was the first to jump out of his seat and head for the windows, his expression becoming more and more comically astounded as he got closer. “No way! _That’s_ all snow??”

The other brothers were quick to join him, only James hanging back and sharing a smile with Mika. “What the hell? It piles up or something??” Sam’s dumbfounded expression was just as hilarious as Matthew’s, his eyes wide and brow furrowed in complete confusion.

“It is quite beautiful,” Erik admitted. Damien nodded, turning to flash Mika a smile.

“If you think it looks cool, just wait until you go out and play in it,” she goaded. “It’s the best part…” Matthew turned to look at her and his bright expression was just so adorable, she had to resist giggling at him.

“I’ll take care of the dishes if you wouldn’t mind instructing my brothers on how to have a good time in the snow, miss,” James offered, his own quiet amusement evident in his smile.

She nodded gratefully, then turned back to the others. “Keep in mind that it’s cold outside and the snow makes it even worse, okay? You’ll all need to change, get bundled up. Hats, scarves, gloves, coats, boots, the works, okay?”

Matthew nodded eagerly, grabbed Damien’s arm and bolted for the dining room exit, Sam close at their heels, probably trying to beat them outside. James smiled and took an armload of dishes to the kitchen, leaving her and Erik at the window.

Mika gently touched her fingertips to Erik’s arm to get his attention, his eyes still scanning the snow-covered landscape. “It’ll probably get pretty cold, wet and loud pretty quick, Erik. You don’t have to come outside if you don’t want to.”

He turned to her and smiled gently, caressing her cheek with a pass of his hand. “I wouldn’t miss your precious gift to us for the world, princess.” He brought his fingers to her chin and tilted it up just slightly before his smile widened and he turned away to follow his younger brothers.

Mika allowed herself a moment to catch her hitched breath before heading out for the foyer as well. She could make out Matthew’s laughter echoing from just out of sight, and she rushed up the stairs to head to her room and get changed before they got too much of a head start on her. Once she was dressed in enough layers, boots crammed on her feet, gloves covering her hands, hat jammed on her head, she left her room just in time to hear James’ voice call out.

“Matthew!” she heard him bellow from the floor below. “Did you not hear what she said? Don’t go outside barefoot! And stop tracking the snow into the house!”

His voice made her hesitate long enough that she thought of a couple more stops to make before heading outside. She hurried to to the attic to grab one of her grandfather’s sleds, to the garage to pick up a bag of charcoal, and to the kitchen to find some carrots, giving James a final enthusiastic wave as she passed him before finally pulling her coat from the closet and heading out the back door.

She was surprised to see the four brothers already changed into winter gear, Sam and Matthew having fun shoving their feet through the snow cover in the yard while Damien and Erik hung back on the snow-covered deck. She hadn’t even seen them run up to their rooms.

“Glamor spell,” Damien said, his words accompanied by small puff of mist when his breath hit the cold air. “We didn’t have to go anywhere to change.”

Mika winced, embarrassed that she had forgotten about that particular spell so quickly. “Right. One of these days I’ll remember that you all can do that.”

He chuckled and held out his hands toward her. “Can I help you carry… er, all of that?”

Looking down at her hands, she realized that charcoal, carrots and a sled probably made for a strange collection of items. Chuckling, she brought to mind several images of snowmen and sledding that might help him figure out that her haul wasn’t so strange after all.

She tossed the items into the snow at the edge of the deck stairs leading out to the yard, then pushed the snow off of the railing and leaned her forearms on it. Damien followed her to the railing but chose instead to poke his fingers into the snow in front of him curiously, through the side and the top until it crumbled in a cold, fluffy heap on his gloved hands.

Grinning, she looked out over the yard where Sam and Matthew had escalated into pushing and kicking snow at each other. “I want to enjoy this as much as I can. Once school starts again on Monday, I’m going to hate this snow so much.”

“Hate it? Why? It’s so beautiful…”

Mika chose to conjure up some mental images again, figuring it would convey her point faster than speaking. Cold wind burning her nose and ears. The struggle of shoveling a driveway. The frightening experience of driving at night through a blizzard with no traction and no visibility. The dirty gray and brown sludge on the side of the road for weeks after that every car kicks up at pedestrians fighting to not slip and fall on the sidewalk. Snow finding its way into her shoes and melting, her socks remaining sodden and cold for hours.

She shook her head to clear out the negative thoughts. Dwelling on the potential negatives when she was surrounded by gorgeous, pristine white snow (at least the parts that Matthew and Sam hadn’t touched yet) was just asking for bad karma.

Focusing on her surroundings, she looked out over the yard again and picked up some details that reminded her of how beautiful it actually was, regardless of the future drama she was expecting: the way pinpricks of light caught her eye when the sun hit the snow at just the right angle, the pine tree branches that were hanging low with the weight of the snow, and the way the powdery dusting of snowflakes kicked up with the slightest breeze, giving physical shape to the wind.

Mika inhaled deeply, letting the cold, thin air bite the inside of her nose. She was about to close her eyes, but then she heard Damien chuckle beside her, and she turned to him to see what had made him so amused.

She saw him pull something up over her head and then over her shoulders, and only when she felt the press of cloth to her mouth did she realize that he was wrapping his scarf around her neck. “I like it when you pick out all the details of the world around you. Everything looks even more beautiful inside your mind.”

With a flick of his hand he sent the tail of the scarf over her shoulder, then gave her a wide smile. “I believe the deal with James was that you were going to teach us the way humans play in the snow. I have to admit I’m pretty curious as to what that lumpy snow sculpture was that had a carrot on the top?”

Mika pulled the scarf down just enough to share her smile with him before tangling his gloved fingers in her own and pulling him down the steps into the yard. She was pleased to find that the snow gave with a satisfying crunch under her heels, just sticky enough to be perfect for the activities she had in mind. “Hey, guys! Ready to learn how humans have fun in the snow?”

Matthew turned away from Sam and gave Mika a wave, calling out, “Yeah! Come on, let’s–” before being cut off with a grunt, Sam bodily tackling him to the ground. Sam stood up and brushed himself off, not even bothering to hide his triumphant grin, though Matthew took a little longer to sit up, his face contorted into a grimace. His shoulders rose nearly up to his ears and he let out a high pitched squeak.

Mika offered Matthew a hand and helped him stand, wincing sympathetically. “Yeah, snow down the back of your neck isn’t particularly pleasant. You kind of have the right idea, though. Lesson number one is to find a nice fresh patch of snow, and do this!”

Figuring that demonstrating would be the quickest way, she untangled her fingers from Damien’s and jumped backward into the snow, the crunch as it compressed below her echoing in her ears. When she began to move her arms and legs back and forth, the brothers just watched curiously until she paused and huffed. “What? I’m making a snow angel!”

After several limb swipes she carefully stood and admired her work, though she could just make out Matthew murmuring, “…Is that what angels look like?” behind her. She turned just in time to see Damien lower his shoulders from a shrug, and when they saw Mika eyeing them, they smiled sheepishly. After the two quickly scanned the snow surrounding them for clear spots, they obligingly tossed themselves backward.

Sam took another minute, considering her snow angel thoughtfully before throwing himself down right next to it. However, he stood up again right away, leaving just an impression of his body.

“Not a fan of angels, Sam?” she teased, and his response was a cocky grin and a leap forward to press his boots into either side of his snow persona’s head before jumping back to her side again.

“Snow demon,” he declared proudly. Matthew and Damien quickly stood to take a peek at Sam’s handiwork and grinned at each other before copying him, adding foot-shaped horns to their own creations.

Mika giggled and clapped her hands, her gloves muffling the sound. “Alright, that was lesson one. Lesson two is snowmen!”

“Am I going to have to make a demon version of this one too?” Sam asked with a smug grin.

“How about this: let me show you how I learned to make them, and after that, you can build an entire army of snow demons, okay?”

“Deal!”

“Okay, so we’re going to need three different large balls of snow, roughly these sizes,” she instructed, holding her arms in a circle to indicate how big she needed them to be. “Sam, you’re in charge of the biggest one at the base. Matthew, you’ve got the middle, and Damien gets the top one since he’s the tallest here.”

“By like an inch,” Sam muttered moodily.

She tried to hide her laughter by barreling on. “Make sure to pack the snow really tight, okay?”

What followed was probably the most frustrating, hilarious and complicated snow man building challenge she had ever faced.

“That’s more like a snowball Matthew, but you’ve got the right idea! Just make it bigger!”

“Sam, stop! That’s too big!! You can make a terrifying snow boulder and murder your brothers with it after we’re done with this snowman, alright?!”

“…Yes, Damien, snow can kill people, avalanches have been known to do that but we’re not on the side of a hill or mountain or anything, so we’re safe here. As long as Sam doesn’t start throwing around gigantic, deadly snow boulders, anyway.”

Finally the three boys had gotten their snow spheres into generally correct proportions and were bickering over how to stack them properly, so Mika took the opportunity to slip up to the deck again. She gave Erik a wry smile as she headed toward the carrots and charcoal. “I hope the view is making up for all the yelling?”

“The view is always breathtaking when you’re around,” he purred, bending to pick up the items he noticed she was heading for and place them in her arms. “However, I was thinking of taking a walk around the estate, if you’d care to join me?”

She shook her head, looking over to the still-bickering brothers. “I think I’ll stick around to look after those guys, at least a little longer.”

“I understand. If you’d like a change of scenery, please don’t hesitate to follow my footsteps, princess,” Erik said with a little wave as he walked off down the steps and past his brothers.

Mika brought the carrots and charcoal over to the trio, and the items were quickly picked out of her grasp by Damien which set Matthew off and started yet another dispute.

“How come Damien gets to be in charge?”

“Because she showed me how it’s supposed to look, of course.”

Since the three of them seemed perfectly content to ignore her and entertain themselves for the time being, she went back to retrieve her sled before heading to a different part of the yard that was much less flat, with several small hills overlapping and a large incline that sloped downwards toward a cluster of trees at the very end of the property.

It had been an embarrassingly long time since she had last been on a sled, so Mika decided to go down one of the smaller hills before taking on the long, steep slope she had loved as a kid. She set the sled onto the snow in the direction she wanted to go and threw her weight onto it, figuring that momentum would carry her forward over the crest of the hill.

No such luck. She gave herself a moment to huff in frustration, then after shooting a glance at the boys to make sure they weren’t watching her, she scooted her butt backwards and forwards several times to try and least get her going, but it still didn’t work. With a groan she stood back up and trudged a few feet away before turning and charging back toward the sled, jumping and kicking her legs out to land on the sled in a sitting position. The ache caused by her behind smacking into the wood was soon forgotten when the sled finally pitched over the crest of the hill and started accelerating downward.

She gripped the thin rope attached to the front of the sled that acted as makeshift reins as she picked up speed, the cold air stinging her cheeks as it whipped past her. The crushing rush of snow compressing under the sled’s runners echoed in her ears until she finally slowed to a stop at the base of the hill.

Wasting no time, she leapt to her feet, keeping the cord wrapped around her fingers as she trudged back up the hill to hold onto the sled trailing behind her. She was concentrating so intently on watching where she was stepping in the snow that when she crested the top of the hill and looked up, she nearly plowed straight into Sam.

“What’s with the thing?” he asked, eyeing her sled with interest.

Mika glanced over to see Damien and Matthew going to town on the snowman and decorating it in the traditional fashion, and hazarded a guess that Sam probably got ousted for some “snow demon” redesign attempt. She bit her lip to help hide her smile before she answered him. “It’s a sled, for riding on the snow. It’s pretty fun, did you want to give it a try? I could give you a push.”

He gave her an exasperated sidelong glance. “Pretty sure I’d be better at pushing someone than you would.”

“If you want, we both could ride it, you’d just need to hop on after me.”

Mika assumed his shrug was the closest thing to agreement she would get out of him, so she pulled the sled along toward the large slope she was overly eager to try again, set it up right on the crest of the hill and plopped down on it. She made sure to grab the rope and scoot toward the front of the sled so that Sam would have plenty of room behind her.

She was tensed and ready to go, but after ten seconds or more, Sam still hadn’t jumped on the sled with her. She looked back over her shoulder to see him just standing a dozen feet away, watching her. “What, Sam?”

“Do you need to warm it up or something?”

“Wait, what?”

“You were, like, wiggling on it or something before.”

So he had caught her embarrassing scooting attempt after all. “… _No_ , Sam. Just… push the damn sled already.”

She turned around to face forward, wanting to hide the blush that she knew was creeping up into her cheeks even if they were already red from the cold. She didn’t have more than a moment to pout, however, because Sam suddenly shot up behind her and pushed the sled with exponentially more force than was necessary. She hardly had time to register that he was sitting behind her, his legs positioned around her body because they were airborne and when they landed hard on the ground already speeding down the hill, her heart lodged in her throat and seemed to be permanently stuck there.

The hill rushed past them faster than she had ever experienced before, and as soon as the shock wore off and she was able to feel heady excitement finally fill her chest, the feeling wore off as she saw how quickly they were speeding toward the grove of trees past the base of the hill.

“Sam…”

“What?”

“Sam!! TREE!”

The sled was positioned perfectly to avoid the first few trees in the copse but there was one straight ahead rapidly approaching. Since his legs were on either side of her, she couldn’t even jump to the side as a last ditch effort to save herself so she squeezed her eyes closed and braced for impact.

It didn’t come. With her eyes closed she couldn’t tell exactly what had happened but she felt herself being picked up, as if something had plucked her from the sled. She opened her eyes when she heard a hollow thunk, and looked just in time to see the empty sled hit the tree that was now several feet away.

She felt hands under her arms and looked down right as her feet touched the ground before turning her head. Apparently Sam had pulled them off of the sled just in time.

He frowned, crossing his arms. “What, did you want to crash?”

Mika shook her head. “No, I just keep forgetting you can do that. Thank you.”

As she stepped over to pick up the sled from where it had crashed, thankful that there was no damage, she heard him reply behind her, “You’re welcome. …That was pretty fun.”

She nodded but shot a surly look at the hill they had just descended while she righted the sled and picked up the cord to help tug it along. “Yeah, sledding has always been my favorite thing to do in the snow, but now it’s time for the least fun part: trudging back up the hill with the sled in tow.”

“Hey, gimme,” Sam ordered shortly, and she turned to see him holding out his hand for the cord to the sled. She nodded in thanks as she handed it over, then watched as he grabbed it and then turned around, crouching low to the ground.

“What are you doing, Sam?”

He shot her a smirk over his shoulder. “Reminding you that I’m a friggen’ demon. C’mon, hop on.”

Mika didn’t particularly hesitate, because she hated trudging uphill in the snow that much. No sooner had she climbed onto his back than he shot off, and she clung to him reflexively as the landscape shot past her at a blinding speed yet again. The rush disoriented her and once they were at the top of the hill again Sam let go of her legs before she got her bearings, so she pitched to one side and had to tighten her arms around his neck for just another moment until she could find her balance.

Once she was on her feet, he turned and looked her over quickly before lifting the hand that still held the cord for the sled. “Wanna go again?” She responded with a vigorous nod, and he gave her a grin before moving to place the sled on the crest of the hill again.

They rode down the hill several more times together, and each time Sam gave Mika a piggyback ride up the hill. She had to admit, it was probably the only time in her life that she had had as much fun going back up to the top as she did coming down thanks to Sam’s demon speed.

As she hopped down from Sam’s shoulders yet again, she glanced up to see Matthew waving her over toward the snowman. She elbowed Sam to catch his attention before crunching through the snow over to Matthew who was bouncing in his boots, eager to show off his and Damien’s work.

The snowman was perfect: charcoal eyes, mouth and buttons, carrot nose, sticks for arms, and what looked to be Matthew’s scarf wrapped around its neck. There was even a little top hat on its head, cocked at an angle.

“Where did the top hat come from? Did you make that, Matthew?”

“Mmhmm, that’s right!” he answered proudly. “It’s a good thing this coat has deep pockets, huh?”

She bit her lip as she grinned and nodded at both Matthew and Damien. “Way to go guys, it looks really great! I’m surprised you caught all those details, Damien.”

“You made it easy for me,” Damien replied, returning her smile.

Matthew shifted his weight, eyeing the sled that Sam was dragging over. “Hey, um, I was wondering if I could give that thing a shot? It looks like a lot of fun…”

Mika glanced over her shoulder at Sam, who shrugged and held out the cord for Matthew. “You’ll probably want someone to give you a push down the hill, it’s a lot more fun that way,” she said.

“I believe that’s something I can help with,” a deep voice responded from behind her, and she turned toward the house to see James coming toward them, bundled up and ready for the snow.

He plucked the cord from Sam’s hand and Matthew took the opportunity to throw himself onto the sled. “Give me a ride, James!”

Mika watched James slowly pull Matthew over to the hilly end of the yard, and looked back over her shoulder to see Sam already making modifications to the snowman. So far he had added carrot horns on its head, and was now adding some kind of patterns to the body of the snowman (though she supposed it was closer to a snow demon already now).

She was just grateful that besides the snow-kicking earlier in the morning, there had been no fighting, especially snowball fights. With all of their demon abilities, she was worried about how that dangerous that would turn out to be.

The cold had finally gotten to the point where it was giving her a headache, so Mika trudged toward the deck steps with the intention of going inside. As she approached the door however, she heard something whiz through the air, land with a splat, and a choked “Ow–!” come from Matthew.

“What the hell, Sam?!” she heard him shout, and turned just in time to see Matthew stand up from the sled and grab some snow, quickly forming it into a ball and chucking it at Sam. The middle brother was so engrossed in his demon marking designs that the snowball caught him completely by surprise.

“The fuck, Matthew!”

“You hit me first!”

“No I didn’t, but I’m sure as hell gonna hit you now!”

Mika scanned the yard as the two began chucking snowballs at each other in earnest and noticed Damien tucked away between some bushes close to Sam, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Had he been reading her mind when she was think of snowball fights?

“Damien!” She called his name intending to bring attention to his role in starting the fight, but her shout had unintended consequences. Sam looked over to glare at Damien in his hiding spot, but in doing so he had thrown a couple snowballs without aiming first and one hit James right in the face. The oldest brother had originally been content to stand aside with his arms crossed and wait for the fight to blow over, but judging from the cold, calculating glare he was shooting at Sam now, things were about to get ugly.

Everyone seemed to gang up on Sam, though Matthew seemed more than happy to send a few snowballs in Damien’s direction too. Mika was mesmerized by the number of snowballs flying, not to mention their speed and velocity, and didn’t even notice Erik walk around the corner of the house into the backyard until he was hit with yet another stray snowball.

What caught her attention then was a purplish light illuminating the snow at Erik’s feet that seemed to writhe, then finally burst through the surface. He was surrounded by several tentacles, each coiled around a ball of snow.

That’s when Mika turned on her heel and made a beeline for the mansion. No way was she getting anywhere near a fight with all five brothers involved, so she rushed inside to safety. Once she made it inside she closed the door behind her quickly, muffling the sound of snowball impacts and cursing. She didn’t realize how cold she really was until she was standing inside, the warm indoor air bringing out the sting in her cheeks and making her headache more acute, as if her scalp was too tight.

Shaking off extra snow that was clinging everywhere, she slowly leaned over and removed her gloves so that she could untie her boots. She was just stepping out of them and hanging her coat up to dry when the back door opened and Erik stepped inside, his snow-covered form instantly replaced with his usual clothing.

She gave him a smile as he closed the door behind him, once again blocking out the sounds of the fight that was apparently still going on outside. “I have to admit, that glamor spell is pretty handy,” she couldn’t help but remark, just a little jealous.

“Indeed it is. If you like, I could help you change into something a little more–”

“No, I’m fine changing by myself, thanks,” she said, cutting him off.

His laughter echoed in the little vestibule where they stood. “It’s so much fun to tease you, princess. I’m amazed that you’re still capable of blushing so beautifully when your cheeks are red with cold.” Nodding toward the stairs, he added, “Get changed into something warm, princess. I’ll have a surprise waiting for you when you’re finished.”

She turned and hurried up the stairs, a little part of her worrying over what kind of surprise he had in mind. Once she entered her room she began pulling off her clothes as fast as she could and tossing them to the ground in a heap, wanting the stinging wet garments as far away from her skin as possible. She rubbed her hands over her bare skin, trying to get the blood flowing again, and then headed to her dresser to pull out some pajamas. Sure, it was the middle of the day, but since she was cold, it was a weekend, and she planned on relaxing and not going out at all, she said to heck with it. Fleece pajama pants, fuzzy slipper socks and a thermal long-sleeved t-shirt would keep her warm and comfy.

She glanced longingly at her bathroom, debating on whether or not to take a long, hot shower. The idea was very tempting, but in the end she decided against it if only to not keep Erik waiting. After changing she headed out of her room again, idly wondering how many times she was going to go up and down the stairs that day as she descended them.

“In here, princess,” she heard Erik call out when her foot touched the foyer floor, and she turned to see him at the entrance to the den, holding an arm out to her. She followed his lead and entered the room, where the fireplace was already alight and crackling away. He directed her to the couch, its cushions dotted with more pillows than usual, and she allowed herself a grin as she flopped back onto it.

When Mika looked up again he was handing her a mug topped with whipped cream, wisps of steam escaping around the edges. “Hot chocolate to help warm you up,” he explained.

“Did James tell you that hot chocolate was standard procedure after playing in the snow?” she teased, licking a bit of the whipped cream off the top before attempting to sip the beverage so that she wouldn’t end up with cream on her nose.

“No, I simply wished to help warm you up. If you’d prefer tea or something else…”

“This is perfect!” she insisted, not wanting him to go through any extra trouble. She took an experimental sip and moaned at the taste; it wasn’t powdered hot chocolate mix but real melted chocolate and cream, and it tasted divine.

Erik grinned at the sound of pleasure that escaped her mouth. “I’m just happy to be of assistance, princess.”

Mika noticed him step backward, and she shifted the mug in her hands so that she could pat the cushion of the couch next to her. “You’re welcome to sit, if you’re not busy?”

His smile widening, he nodded graciously and lowered himself onto the sofa, his legs stretched out in front of him and his arm moving to rest on the back of the couch. “Did you enjoy your time playing in the snow?”

She drank another large sip of the delicious drinking chocolate before answering. “I did. To me, it’s really something that’s only fun if there are others around. I haven’t had a chance to do anything like that for a while, since whenever it snows Suzu just wants to pelt everyone with snowballs and Naomi gets upset that she’s an unfair target since she’s the tallest…” Turning to Erik, she asked, “How about you? Did you enjoy your walk?”

“I did,” he admitted, “though I certainly understand what you mean. The scenery was beautiful, but I think it would be even better when shared with someone else.”

“Mmhmm. Snow in winter can be pretty romantic in its own way. Playing together in the snow, sleigh rides, being cooped up inside trying to stay warm…” She trailed off when she noticed his raised eyebrow, and she could help but laugh at his expression.

“I do love seeing that blush on your face, princess. It suits you.” His smile returned for a brief moment before he cocked his head, looking to the floor. “Are your feet cold?”

Mika had been pressing her feet together, toes curled under, trying to force some warmth into them. She looked down, brow furrowed, and opened her mouth to deny it but Erik cut her off, leaning forward and lowering his voice.

“You don’t have to lie to me, princess. Please, let me take care of them for you.”

She couldn’t tell if he was enthralling her or if he was just very convincing, but either way, she leaned back and timidly pulled her legs up onto the couch. Erik wasted no time in reaching out, plucking the slipper sock from one of her feet, and pushing his thumbs slowly into the arch of her foot.

Mika lurched forward to put the hot chocolate down on the coffee table before she dropped it. After her feet had been encased in boots and thick socks much of the morning, the feeling of his fingers working the muscles was pure bliss.

She closed her eyes and leaned against the arm of the couch as he continued the foot massage. “I’m glad you weren’t caught in the middle of the snow battle,” he said conversationally, and she had to gather her thoughts before answering. How was he so good with his hands?

“Yeah, that was entirely Damien’s fault. I had purposely avoided mentioning anything about snowball fights, but I slipped up and thought about it right as I was about to go inside and he just had to go and start something.” She closed her eyes and sighed, shifting to recline against the side of the couch and pull her arms to her chest. “Wonder if they’re still going…”

“No doubt they are,” he said, pulling the sock from her other foot and beginning his ministrations again. “I have to admit, I think I prefer the quiet appeal of viewing the landscape over the frenzy of playing in it, as least as violently as my brothers do. The way the snow seems to coat everything with white and quiet, and how it reflects the sun almost like it’s made of crystal dust…” He watched her relaxed expression, eyelashes resting against her cheeks without moving, before he leaned forward and added, “As exquisite as the snow is, it doesn’t compare to you, princess.”

No reaction. She was definitely asleep. Chuckling softly to himself, he took his time replacing her slipper socks and then placed her feet on the cushions. As he stood, he heard the door to the backyard slam open. He frowned and walked out into the hallway.

When Erik rounded the corner, he saw that his brothers had already adjusted their glamor spells to return to their normal clothing and Sam had his mouth open (no doubt about to yell something back over his shoulder). Erik spoke quickly to cut him off. “Hush, Sam. She’s sleeping.”

Sam shot a glare in his direction but obligingly shut his mouth. Matthew peeked around Erik into the den, and soon all five boys had made their way into the room.

Walking over to a chest in the corner, Sam dug around inside until he found a blanket and tossed it over to Matthew, who carefully laid it around Mika and tucked it around her without disturbing her. Erik busied himself with closing the curtains so that the glare from the snow wouldn’t catch her eye and wake her.

James made his way over to the fire, adjusting it so that the logs wouldn’t fall or snap suddenly. He heard a soft exhale and looked over to the couch to see Mika smile in her sleep, and his lips turned up in response. “She looks happy.”

“She is,” Damien said with a grin, reaching over the back of the couch to pull a lock of hair away from her cheek. “She’s dreaming of us.”


End file.
